Signs Of Spiritual Decline

One of the things I am thinking about as we start a brand new year, is the need for all of us to go through seasons of spiritual renewal. Actually the beginning of a new year provides us with an opportunity to reflect on our lives, our progress, and the state of our soul. As we review what’s going on in our lives, we want to see God make all things new.

So what does it take to be renewed? One of the places that we start is in the area of ‘repentance’. This word means to ‘change our way of thinking or to change our direction; to do a 180 degree shift from a bad pattern or direction’.

There are some signs of decline that require repentance:

#1 – Prayerlessness – Nothing makes us quite as dull as lack of time in the presence of God. Are we spending time daily in pursuit of His presence? Are we worshiping? Are we praying?

#2 – Neglect Of God’s Word – Psalm 1 declares that we become fruitful when we meditate on the Word of God day and night. Are you investing in Bible reading, Scripture memory, or journaling?

#3 – Compromise – we can see that we are slipping when we start to allow things we know are not best into our experience. We start to defend the practice. We rationalize. But we know that this area of liberty is draining us spiritually.

#4 – Bitterness – nothing chokes out the presence of God like harbored anger. We have to forgive to see the release of inner freedom.

#5 – Consumerism – decline begins when we start to see our involvement in our local church family the perspective of – ‘how does this benefit me?’ Being involved in a local church is not about you. It’s about God working through you to benefit others. If you disconnect or stop serving because you want to get something out of it, you start to slip into a selfish way of life.

#6 – Shame – if we do not process our guilt and let God forgive us, we feel defeated before we even begin. We need to repent of carrying shame when the blood of Jesus has set us free.

#7 – Disobedience – It sounds simple, but often we just simply are doing wrong or are failing to do what we know is right.

Which of these is holding you back as you enter 2015? What are you going to do about it?